Line length and justification indicator for typesetting machines

ABSTRACT

A line length remainder and justification indicator device for use with a line composing machine in which the device employs a continuously rotating drum having preselected values of line remainder and justification information indicated thereon. A controlled intermittent flash illuminates only the desired information.

United States atent [191 Mattern LINE LENGTH AND JUSTIFICATION INDICATORFOR TYPESETTING MACHINES [76] Inventor: Dietrich Mattern, Berliner Allee51,

Langen (Bunderrepublik Deutschland), Germany [22] Filed: Feb. 19, 1971[21] Appl. No.: 116,868

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,262,379 7/1966 Bauer, Jr.et a1. 95/4.5 R 3,336,849 8/1967 Broglio 95/4.5 R

[ Oct. 16, 1973 2,666,911 1/1954 Reynolds 95/4.5 R 3,592,310 7/1971Cralle, Jr. 197/84 A 3,512,132 5/1970 Jones et al. 197/84 R 3,490,838l/1970 Heymann 95/4.5 R 3,537,365 11/1970 Schumann 95/4.5 R 3,450.0146/1969 Astley 95/4.5 R 3,344,722 10/1967 Cunningwell 95/4.5 R 1,183,9975/1916 Marchthal 197/84 A 2,000,029 5/1935 Kleinschmidt et al. 234/11FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 972,060 1964 Great Britain 199/18Primary Examiner-Robert E. Pulfrey Assistant Examiner-Eugene H. EickholtAttorney-William P. Keegan [5 7] ABSTRACT 4 Claims, 7 Drawing FiguresPatented Oct. 16, 1-973 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented Oct. 16, 19733,765,686

4 Sheets-Sheet z Patented Oct. 16, 1973 3,765,686

4 Sheets-Sheet 3 uqlanlul Patented Oct. 16, 1973 3,765,686

4 Sheets-Sheet L LINE LENGTH AND JUSTIFICATION INDICATOR FOR TYPESETTINGMACHINES The invention relates to a mechanism for displaying the linelength remainder and the justification range for use in controllingtypesetting machines. The mechanism disclosed employs a movable drumwith preselected display values and a mask partially covering this drum.

In a known prior art device, the justification range is indicated by adrum scale moving in increments and having a preselected graduation.Three ranges are displayed at one time: a first range indicating theline measure and neglecting the spacebands; a second range indicatingthe difference between the maximum and minimum widths of a type ofspace-band; and a third range for the corresponding minimum width. Thisscale is covered by a sinusoidal mask also moving in increments inaccordance with the remaining line length, the positions of scale andmask only being defined at the start of a line. Display accuracy andperspicuity of such devices leave much to be desired. Moreover, arelatively large amount of mechanical parts is required to control thedrum scale and the movable mask.

The prior art also includes a display means for controlling matrixcomposing and linecasting machines in which binary coded width valuescorresponding to the width of characters and word spaces are generatedand used to control display means arranged one below the other. Thedisplay means move in opposite directions under control of a characterwidth counting unit and a word space counting unit. Such display means,indicating the amount of line length already used up as well as thedifference between maximum and minimum widths of spacebands, employ amovable screen with scan marks and binary representation. By means of aconfiguration in which a width value allocated to a certain position ofthe screen is compared with the setting of a counting unit, signals aregenerated in case of noncompliance of the two values which move thescreen in a predetermined direction. The control signals are fed into adriving mechanism which moves the screen to a position where the widthvalues indicated by the position of the screen coincide with the valuepresent in the counting unit. The calculation of the difference betweenthe binary figures, which defines the position of the screen and thesetting of the counting unit, is achieved by means of essentially knowndigital or analogue subtracting means. In a known configuration thesetting of the counting units is indicated by means of two movablescreens arranged one below the other and connected to both countingunits through analogue-todigital converters. In this way, the linelength remainder may be indicated by a section increasing from left toright, while the justification range is simultaneously signalled by asection increasing from right to left. In such devices which are knownin the art, the driving mechanism, in particular, requires a relativelylarge amount of mechanical parts, such as a phase-sensitive motor which,on the one hand, is fed by an a.c. voltage source while, on the otherhand, it is subjected to a differential a.c. voltage originating fromthe subtracting means and being amplified and preferably limited by anamplifier. In order to achieve a high speed of display it is necessaryto carefully coordinate the magnitudes affecting the dynamic propertiesof the display means in order to prevent the screen from aperiodicallyreaching its limit position and to assure that the alignment ispermanent. In one version of the above device, the movable screen isreplaced by strips illuminated by electric lamps, the display accuracyis increased in that the portions of the strip which are illuminated bya lamp decrease in length as they approach the righthand end of theilluminated strip. The number of display signals taken from the binarycounting unit summing up the character widths increases as the valuesrecorded also increase. The features of such display means arepredetermined by the length of the strip portions and the connectionbetween the electric lamp and the comparator unit.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved means fordisplaying the line length remainder and the justification range for usein controlling typesetting machines.

According to the present invention, the above object is met by employinga movable drum with preselected display values and a mask that partiallycovers the drum so that only the information on the drum correspondingto the line being composed is displayed. The drum is coupled to adriving mechanism which rotates it independently of the values to bedisplayed. A transducer sensing the drum position and a storage meansstoring the value to be displayed are connected to a comparator unitwhich has an output side that triggers a flash source intermittently toilluminate the section of the drum which is visible through a slot inthe mask.

This display means may be used to monitor a direct inputting ofcharacters into a typesetting machine as by a typewriter keyboard. Itmay also be installed in a perforator used to produce perforated tapescontrolling typesetting machines.

In carrying out the invention the drum driving mechanism continuouslyrotates the drum at an approximately constant speed. It follows thenthat the driving mechanism may be of the low output type. The dynamicproperties of the drum driving mechanism have practically no influenceon the speed of display, provided all of the display values available onthe drum pass the slot provided in the mask at a high frequency,approximately 50 times a second.

The flash source is triggered when the preselected display valuecoincides with the stored value to be displayed representing, forinstance, the line length already used up or the total amount of alldifferences between column width and the cumulative width of composedcharacters (justification range). Owing to the rapid sequentialoperation of such a device with its short time intervals and thepersistance of the human eye the operator has the impression of astationary image produced by the values flashed in rapid sucession. Thisdisplay is quickly adapted to any alterations of the value to bedisplayed and stored in the storage means. Since the value indicated isdetermined by triggering the flash light rather than by controlling theposition of the drum, thus precluding an interaction between the flashlight and the pulses generated by the transducer sending the drumposition, these are not dynamic stability problems. Without much designeffort, the preselected values may be arranged on the drum to provide aperspicuous and accurate display means.

From the description that follows it will become apparent that thedisplay means of the present invention is particularly suited tosimultaneously display several values recorded on the drum. For thispurpose, the

transducer which senses the drum position may be assigned severalfunctions, thus further contributing to the object of keeping costsrelatively low. The same principle, according to which the display valuewhich rotates with the drum and co-responds to the value to be displayedis subjected to a flash source each time it appears at a slot providedin the mask, is applied to another device of the aforementioned type.This other device comprises a drum coupled to a driving mechanism whichrotates it independently of the value to be displayed, a sensor forscanning marks provided on the drum to generate position pulses, and acounting unit which can be set to show the value to be displayed. The

counting units output side is connected to a trigger circuit whichflashes a lamp to illuminate the desired value as it comes into viewingposition. In other words, the value to be displayed is preset in thecounting unit and is then gradually reduced as the marks on the drumpass the sensing unit until it coincides with a preselected value atwhich point the flash lamp is triggered. This embodiment of theinvention is particularly inexpensive; it is, however, virtually limitedto displaying only one value at a time.

In both display means according to the present invention the duration ofthe flashes triggered in rapid succession is such that both thebrightness and the definition of the value to be displayed are adequate.

In practical configuration, the means for correctly and easily assigningthe drum positions to the display values on the drum is achieved byproviding the drum with a synchronisation mark as well as one positionmark for each value to be illuminated. The transducer which senses thedrum position, has a sensor that scans said marks as they pass beneaththe transducer and generates position pulses which are fed to a countingunit.

In a particularly useful configuration of the firstmentioned embodimentof the display means the simultaneous displaying of several values isachieved by providing a drum having, at two points ofits circumferenceoff-set relative to each other, a second mask, a second flash sourcewith a trigger and a second comparator unit in which the second value tobe displayed is preset. The second comparator unit is also connected tothe transducer that senses the drum position. A digital delay element isprovided between the second comparator unit and the second flash sourcethe delay of which is determined by the time required by a point on thedrum to travel between the first and the second mask.

Compared with display devices known in the art, the present displaymeans is characterised by a considerable reduction in costs, each valueto be displayed only requiring a flash source with a trigger, a mask anda delay time element, while the drum with its preselected display valuesand the transducer sensing the drum position are the same for allvalues. For example, the first value to be displayed may be assigned theinstant at which the comparison is determined; all other values may bedisplayed behind their masks at a certain delay with regard to thispoint of time. The delay must be equivalent to the time required for apoint on the drum to travel between the sensing unit of the transducerand its associated mask, or, since the transducer is arranged in such away that the first value to be displayed is immediately flashed at itsmask when reaching its correct position, the delay must be equivalent tothe time required by a point to travel between the first and the secondmask.

The delay between the time the comparison comes out for all other valuesto be displayed and the instant at which these values are flashed attheir mask is practically achieved by designing the display means insuch a way that the delay time element comprises a storage in which theresult of the second comparison is preset, a gate circuit to which theoutput value of the storage and position pulses are applied, and acounting unit the input of which is connected to the gate circuit. Inthis arrangement, the position pulses generated between the drumposition at which the comparison comes out and the drum position atwhich the value appears at its associated mask are counted and thetriggering of the flash source is delayed by the time required by themarks to pass the sensing unit of the transducer. Depending on thecapacity of the counting unit, any display position in the pattern ofmarks applied to the drum may be reached. The delay time exactlycorresponds to the time required by the value to be displayed to travelbetween the two observation points, this being dependent of the speed ofrotation of the drum.

Another advantage can be achieved by using a length of photographic filmsurrounding the drum, said film having photographically applied to itthe preselected display values. Instead of a photographic film, paper ortransparent paper or a synthetic foil may be used as the image carrier.In one configuration of the display means the flash source illuminatingthe film is preferably accommodated inside the drum, thereby assuringthat the value illuminated at the slot of the mask clearly contrastsagainst the surrounding image carrier. Moreover, this arrangement makesfor a compact design. Furthermore, another configuration of this devicein which the mask is accommodated inside the drum offers particularadvantages. In such an arrangement, the illuminated section of the drumremains clearly visible independent of the field of vision of theoperator, while otherwise the thickness of the mask located outside thedrum limits the vision of the illuminated drum section. Apart from thisadvantage, accommodating the mask inside the drum makes for anattractive and smooth ap pearance of the display means. Moreover, thedisplay means should preferably be of such design that the drumdisplaying the values is of the linear scale type having sector elementsparallel to its longitudinal axis and also parallel to the slot in themask. In other words, the sector elements correspond to the analogousvalues to be displayed. They are seen by the operator as illuminatedlines contrasting against the surrounding material. The differentlengths of these sector elements correspond to the different valueswhich can be displayed.

The width of the sector elements measured in the direction of thecircumference of the drum is preferably greater than the width of theslot. In this way, the flash can be of such a duration that the sectorelement, at a not too high flashing frequency, is clearly illuminated orpenetrated by the light rays, for the flash should be effective only aslong as the illuminated sector element is well within the slot of themask.

Based on the aforementioned conditions, a spacesaving arrangement of thesector elements on the drum can be achieved by arranging the sectorelements in a step-to-step fashion.

In another configuration of the display means which offers particularadvantages, several groups of sector elements of the same kind areplaced side by side in longitudinal direction along the circumference ofthe drum, each group having a flash source with an individuallycontrolled trigger. In this way, a multitude of different display valuesmay be accommodated on the drum while at the same time enabling the useof a small diameter drum by which a high resolution is achieved. Bycombining different sector elements from the various groups of sectorelements the number of values which can be displayed is considerablyhigher than the number of drum positions. In this arrangement, sectorelements of both groups are alternately illuminated in such a way thatthe sum-total of the sector elements represents the correct value to bedisplayed. When dividing a group of sector elements into two groups ofthe same kind placed side by side, but having only half the number ofsteps, the diameter of the drum may also be halved.

This configuration is particularly advantageous in that the displaycharacteristics may be selected by varying the sector elements assignedto the drum positions and/or the values to be displayed. Hereby,practically any size of the display values can be chosen. For example,the various display areas may simply be extended or condensed byselecting longer or shorter sector elements.

Finally, a suitable configuration of the display means would incorporatealphanumerical values applied to the drum at some points. Without anyadditional expenditure of design efforts or costs this would make itpossible to display alphanumerical text instead of the sector elementsor to mix analogue and digital values. This only requires that a sectorelement is replaced by a corresponding alphanumerical text or that thesector element is combined with the desired information and applied tothe image carrier.

Features and advantages of the present invention may be gained from theforegoing and from the description of a preferred embodiment thereofwhich follows.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 represents one embodiment of the invention showing the electriccomponents designed for the simultaneous display of two values;

FIG. 2 is a side view taken through a portion of the means fordisplaying a value;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the mask of the display means according to FIG.2;

FIG. 4 shows a development of the drum according to FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a side view of a portion of the means for the simultaneousdisplay of two values;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the mask of the display means according to FIG.5; and

FIG. 7 shows a group of sector elements on the developed drum in placeof the group shown in FIG. 4.

In FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 the drum carrying the preselected display values isonly represented schematically. The arrangement of the preselectedvalues is shown in more detail in FIG. 4 which represents a developmentof the drum. According to this figure, sector elements 2 are arranged ina step-to-step fashion to achieve a display means of the linear scaletype. These sector elements divide the drum surface into contrastingsections. For example, the surface being a photographic film istransparent in section 3 while it is opaque at section 4. Furthermore, aposition mark 5 is assigned to each sector element on the drum, saidposition marks being applied near the edge of the surface. Moreover, thesurface carries a synchronisation mark 6.

From FIGS. 2 and 3, in particular, it becomes apparent that a rigid mask7 with a slot 8 is accommodated in front of the drum of the displaymeans, said slot being slightly smaller in width than the sector elementmeasured in the direction of the circumference of the drum. Inside thedrum a flash source 9 is provided. While in this embodiment the drumsurface is located between the flash source and the mask, in anotherembodiment the mask may be located inside the drum between the flashsource and the surface of the drum. 34

According to FIG. 1, the drum is coupled to a motor 10. A sensor 11 isprovided near the edge of the drum sensing the position marks and thesynchronisation mark, a line 12 being employed to transmit the positionpulses originating from the sensor to a counting unit 14. Counting unit14 and sensor 11 may together be considered part of a general transducermeans.

To reset counting unit 14 it is connected to the sensor by another line13 transmitting the synchronisation pulses. The counting unit isconnected to the input of a comparator unit 15, said comparator having asecond input 16 for the value to be displayed. The output of thecomparator unit is coupled to the flash source 9 by a trigger not shown.

According to FIG. 1, the display means described above is designed fordisplaying only one value at a time employing the mask shown in FIGS. 2and 3. For this purpose, the drum is continuously rotated by motor 10,The value to be displayed is fed into the input 16 of the comparatorunit 15, preferably in digitally coded form.

The electric components of the display means trigger the flash sourceeach time the drum reaches a position corresponding to the value to bedisplayed, i.e., a position in which the sector element appearing at theslot corresponds to the value to be displayed. This is achieved bycontinuously counting the position pulses generated each time a positionmark is sensed after the counting unit 14 has been reset to a definedstarting position by a synchronisation pulse generated when asynchronisation mark is sensed. In other words, after each rotation ofthe drum a sector element is illuminated. At a sufficiently high speedof rotation the flashing frequency is such that the image of theilluminated sector element in the slot is stationary. A useful flashingfrequency is 50 cycles per second.

According to FIGS. 5 and 6 as well as that part of FIG. 1 which has notbeen described yet, the display means may be modified to enable thesimultaneous display of several values. The drum used is the same asthat shown in FIGS. 1 through 4. However, the drum is equipped with amask 17 having two slots 18 and 19 arranged one above the other. Thedrum section opposite each slot is illuminated by a separate flashsource, i.e. apart from the flash source 9, a second flash source 20 isprovided. Inside the drum the two flash sources are separated by meansof a light-tight screen.

Any sector element on the drum surface'may be illuminated by any of thetwo flash sources during one complete cycle of the drum so thatstationary images of the values to be displayed are produced at theslots 18, 19. The electric components described hereinbefore areemployed to display the value visible through slot 18 by means of flashsource 9. To display a second value through slot 19, the electriccomponents according to FIG. 1 are essentially complemented by a secondcomparator unit 21, a storage element on buffer 22, a gate circuit 23,and a counting unit 24. The element 22 together with gate circuit 23 andunit 24 may collectively be considered a delay time means. The secondcomparator unit 21 has an input to which, in the same way as describedfor the comparator unit 15, a figure is transmitted from the countingunit 14, said figure indicating the drum position. The second input 21ato the comparator unit 21 receives the value to be displayed. When bothvalues coincide, a signal is fed into the storage 22 where it is heldback for a period of time corresponding to at least the time required bya sector element on the drum to travel between slot 18 and slot 19. Theoutput signal of the storage 22 keeps the gate circuit in open positionso that the position pulses can be transmitted to the counting unit viathe line 12. When the number of position pulses fed into the countingunit 24 corresponds to the distance between the slots 18, 19 the flashsource 20 is triggered by a trigger not shown. The storage 22 is thenreset.

In this way, for example, the line length remainder is displayed throughslot 18, while the total amount of differences between maximum space andminimum space, being an indication for the justification range of aline, is displayed through slot 19.

The drum at its circumference carries all values to be displayed, asparticularly shown in FIG. 4. If the values are to be displayedanalogously as in a linear scale with high resolution, it becomesapparent that it is necessary to place a multitude of sector elementsside by side an to select a sufficiently large drum circumference at agiven size of the slot in the mask. However, it is possible to reducethe circumference of the drum and maintain a high resolution byarranging the sector elements in indicia on said drum, and asynchronisation mark; a stationary mark covering said drum and having afirst elongated aperture and a second elongated aperture therein throughwhich a selected information indicia on said drum may be observed; adriving mechanism operatively associated with said drum for continuouslyrotwo adjacent groups, as shown in FIG. 7. Hence it fol- Y lows that thearrangement shown in FIG. 7 makes it possible to halve the circumferenceof the drum according to FIG. 4. An arrangement of the sector elementsaccording to FIG. 7 requires that a flash source and an elementcontrolling it is assigned to each group of sector elements. All valuesrepresented by the sector elements arranged as shown in FIG. 4 can thanbe displayed by illuminating the sector elements of groups 25 and 26 inFlG. 7. For example, to display a sector element of the left half of thegroup according to FIG. 4, only one sector element of group 25 accordingto FIG. 7 has to be illuminated continuously. If it is desired todisplay a sector element extending into the right half of the groupshown in FIG. 4 it is necessary to illuminate a sector element coveringthe entire width of group 25 plus a sector element of group 26, thisbeing possible at any instant relative to the time a sector element ofgroup 25 is illuminated. The operator then has the impression of analmost uninterrupted line composed of the sector elements of the groups25 and 26.

What is claimed is:

1. Means for displaying line composing information indicia for use incontrolling typesetting machines, said means comprising: a rotatabledrum having preselected line composing information indicia displayedthereon, a plurality of position marks, one for each information tatingsaid drum so that said information indicia are serially moved past saidfirst mark aperture; a drum illuminating circuit means including acomparator unit for storing a number corresponding to a selectedinformation indicia to be displayed, means for introducing a count intosaid comparator unit corresponding to a drum position, said countintroducing means comprising sensor means for scanning the drum positionmarks to generate position pulses as the position marks on said drum arerotated past said sensor means, and a counting means for counting saidposition pulses, said sensor means also scanning said synchronisationmark once during each rotation of said drum to generate a reset pulse toreset said counting means when the syn chronisation mark is scanned;flash lamp means responsive to the count introduced into said comparatorunit being equal to the number stored in said comparator unit forilluminating said drum during each rotation thereof whereby the desiredselected information indicia is displayed through the first markaperture for as long as the corresponding number is stored in saidcomparator unit; a second flash lamp; a second comparator unit in whicha number corresponding to a second indicia to be displayed is stored,said second comparator unit also being connected to said counting meanswhich senses the drum position; and a delay time means provided betweenthe second comparator and the second flash lamp for introducing a delaydetermined by the time required by the indicia selected to be displayedat the second mark aperture to travel between the first and the secondapertures in the mark whereby a second information indicia is displayedthrough second aperture simultaneously with a first information indiciabeing displayed through said first aperture.

2. A means according to claim 1 in which the delay time means comprisesa storage element for producing an output signal when the countintroduced to said second comparator unit is equal to the number storedtherein, an and gate for producing signals responsive to said storageelement signal and to concurrent pulses from said transducer means, anda second counting unit for triggering said second flash lamp whensignals from said and gate correspond in number to a value stored insaid second counting unit which value represents the time it takes aninformation indicia on said drum to move from said aperture to saidsecond aperture in said mask.

3. A means according to claim 2 in which the information indicia on saiddrum are of the linear scale type having sector elements parallel to itslongitudinal axis and also parallel to the elongated apertures in themask.

4. A means according to claim 3 in which the width of a sector elementmeasured in the direction of the circumference of the drum is greaterthan the width of an elongated aperture.

1. Means for displaying line composing information indicia for use incontrolling typesetting machines, said means comprising: a rotatabledrum having preselected line composing information indicia displayedthereon, a plurality of position marks, one for each information indiciaon said drum, and a synchronisation mark; a stationary mark coveringsaid drum and having a first elongated aperture and a second elongatedaperture therein through which a selected information indicia on saiddrum may be observed; a driving mechanism operatively associated withsaid drum for continuously rotating said drum so that said informationindicia are serially moved past said first mark aperture; a drumilluminating circuit means including a comparator unit for storing anumber corresponding to a selected information indicia to be displayed,means for introducing a count into said comparator unit corresponding toa drum position, said count introducing means comprising sensor meansfor scanning the drum position marks to generate position pulses as theposition marks on said drum are rotated past said sensor means, and acounting means for counting said position pulses, said sensor means alsoscanning said synchronisation mark once during each rotation of saiddrum to generate a reset pulse to reset said counting means when thesynchronisation mark is scanned; flash lamp means responsive to thecount introduced into said comparator unit being equal to the numberstored in said comparator unit for illuminating said drum during eachrotation thereof whereby the desired selected information indicia isdisplayed through the first mark aperture for as long as thecorresponding number is stored in said comparator unit; a second flashlamp; a second comparator unit in which a number corresponding to asecond indicia to be displayed is stored, said second comparator unitalso being connected to said counting means which senses the drumposition; and a delay time means provided between the second comparatorand the second flash lamp for introducing a delay determined by the timerequired by the indicia selected to be displayed at the second markaperture to travel between the first and the second apertures in themark whereby a second information indicia is displayed through secondaperture simultaneously with a first information indicia being displayedthrough said first aperture.
 2. A means according to claim 1 in whichthe delay time means comprises a storage element for producing an outputsignal when the count introduced to said second comparator unit is equalto the number stored therein, an ''''and'''' gate for producing signalsresponsive to said storage element signal and to concurrent pulses fromsaid transducer means, and a second counting unit for triggering saidSecond flash lamp when signals from said ''''and'''' gate correspond innumber to a value stored in said second counting unit which valuerepresents the time it takes an information indicia on said drum to movefrom said aperture to said second aperture in said mask.
 3. A meansaccording to claim 2 in which the information indicia on said drum areof the linear scale type having sector elements parallel to itslongitudinal axis and also parallel to the elongated apertures in themask.
 4. A means according to claim 3 in which the width of a sectorelement measured in the direction of the circumference of the drum isgreater than the width of an elongated aperture.